COS quarterback Kipeli Koniseti looks like he could be a linebacker

The College of the Sequoias football team's media guide lists freshman quarterback Kipeli Koniseti at a very generous 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds.

When Koniseti read Monday's Times-Delta article, he was happy to see himself listed at 225 pounds because he is actually walking around at 243 pounds he said at Tuesday's practice.

"I want to get back to around 230 pounds," he said.

Koniseti, who is constantly reminded that he looks more like a linebacker than a quarterback, is still trying to work himself back into shape after taking a year away from football.

Koniseti led Grant High School (Sacramento) to the 2008 CIF Open Division State Championship and earned himself a full-ride scholarship to Arizona State University.

He also had the option of playing linebacker at the Division I level if he wanted.

But issues with his clearinghouse eligibility kept him from stepping onto the Arizona State campus.

Koniseti said he was hoping to get himself eligible to play at the NCAA Division I level and get to a school by Jan. 2010, but instead stayed home and worked.

Koniseti said his recruiter at Arizona State told him about COS and about coach Curtis Allen's track record of sending kids to four-year schools, so over the summer he showed up in Visalia to go to school and play football.

But once he got to COS, he said more "paperwork issues" kept him from playing in the team's first couple of games.

Finally, after getting everything straightened out, Koniseti saw the field for the first time since winning a state championship in 2008.

"It was hard sitting out a year and then coming here and having to sit more was even harder," he said.

Koniseti wasted very little time in his return against Merced College on Saturday, leading COS to a

touchdown on his very first drive and finishing it off with a quarterback sneak into the end zone.

He finished the game with 66 yards rushing and 105 yards passing, but suffered another setback when he injured his foot and had to leave sooner than he would have liked.

"It felt so good to finally get back out there and then I hurt my foot," Koniseti said. "It seems like there is always something setting me back."

Koniseti and Phillip Brandt give the Giants two very good quarterbacks to turn to when needed. And the way the season is going for COS, they might just need both of them. Allen said both of them are banged up and will be playing hurt at West Hills on Saturday.